Great LGBTQ+ Speeches

Great speeches that deserve to be known. There is still a lot of work to get done. Thankfully, we have improved quite a lot since some of the speeches. But we have to keep fighting to improve and not return to the dark times.

A lovely and informative book to dip in and out of, which teaches a lot about LGBT+ history in an accessible and engaging way.

I’m so grateful that I got to read this text. I really enjoyed this book and I’m looking forward to making some videos for my TIkTok and other social media channels to recommend it to my friends and followers. It was an excellent read! 5/5 stars. I’m going to write a longer and more detailed review on my Goodreads and TikTok and I will link back once I’ve posted.

This is a wonderful compilation of speeches by LGBTQIA folks an allies. The speeches included are by people from all over the world with different backgrounds and identities and it makes a beautiful and moving collection. Also, I received an e-arc of this book BUT the graphics and photos are incredible. I cannot wait to see a physical copy!

I received an advanced reader copy of Great LGBTQ+ Speeches: Empowering Voices That Engage And Inspire by Tea Uglow in exchange for an honest review.

As a self-proclaimed queer and drag historian, I love any opportunity to learn about queer history. When I saw Great LGBTQ+ Speeches on NetGalley two thoughts went through my mind: 1) that cover is spectacular, one that I would love to have on my shelves, and 2) this is exactly the kind of book I would love to read.

Great LGBTQ+ Speeches is a collection of abridged speeches on queer subjects. Each speech is preceded by a short bio of the speaker, as well as a gorgeous stylized photo. I loved the creative ways these greyscale photographs were filled with bursts of color. The formatting of this book is magnificent. It had me as interested in it visually as in its content.

I was thrilled to see that my favorite queer speech in history, Sylvia Rivera’s “Y’all Better Quiet Down,” was featured in this collection. It also had a powerful speech by gay Black poet Essex Hemphill, critiquing the white gay community’s fetishization of the gay Black man. Reading that speech motivated me to look up more of his work. Another quote I loved was from Vito Russo, who said, “living with AIDS is like living through a war which is happening only for those people who happen to be in the trenches.” The majority of figures and speeches in this collection were new to me, so I learned quite a lot from it!

One thing that felt a little strange to me was the presence of non-queer allies like Obama and Hilary being included in this collection. I recognize that the speeches they gave were momentous for mainstream discourse around queer people, but they themselves are not part of the community. Last few pages listed mini biographies of other historic queer figures who didn’t receive a full spread in the book. I really appreciated this section, but I also think a handful of these icons could have been featured in place of ally speeches.

Tea Uglow’s Great LGBTQ+ Speeches is an excellent, informative, and beautiful book, and one I would definitely recommend. Thank you NetGalley, Quarto Publishing Group, and White Lion Publishing for the advanced reader copy.

Love this!

Does what it says on the tin! But if you’re looking to get educated or learn more about LGBRQIA+ history, I would definitely recommend!

Similar to some other reviewers, I felt like this was 60-70% of what I was after, it left me wanting a bit more about each person/speech, but I'm thinking of that as a starting off point to go ahead and read more indepth articles/books about the people/speeches

I liked the range and diversity of the people included, a good spread of eras as well

I received an advance copy for free from NetGalley, on the expectation that I would provide an honest review.

One of my favorite new trends is seeing colorfully illustrated history books. It really makes everything more real, vibrant. Less “facts on a page”, more “oh shit this actually happened.”

These speeches really touched me. I’m getting ready for June, and nothing humbles you or makes you feel a part of a movement rather than reading about your queer elders at work. I loved reading their words. I think this book really honors them and their sacrifices.

If you need to be inspired or are feeling low, then look to these words in Great LGBTQ+ Speeches compiled by Tea Uglow. Every issue under the rainbow and beyond is addressed from prejudice, to loneliness, to rejection, to acceptance. These speakers face their bullies, family members, former friends, and strangers to share their feelings, facts, and hope for the future. You cannot help but feel uplifted as you read speech after speech. Uglow gives us a one-stop place to find great comfort and inspiration.

Great LGBTQ+ Speeches is a must have for every library whether it be personal, public, rainbow, or cis. History is showcased beautifully within these pages and is a must have.

I really enjoyed this collection of speeches. They tied together well with the overall topics. The introduction and information about history before each speech was very informative. The speeches covered a diverse number of identities and topics involved with the LGBTQ+ community.

A few of my favorites were Sir Ian McKellen, George Takei, Alison Bechdel, and Debi Jackson.